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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Tarry (a while) #12813 12/14/2000 8:45 AM Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 3,146 Northamptonshire, England Capital Kiwi Carpal Tunnel Capital Kiwi Carpal Tunnel Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 3,146 Northamptonshire, England Hi all ... a question about today's word, tarry. I've tarried from time to time - probably in every sense that Anu's definition lays out - but I've never seen it used as a noun. Do you have a tarry? Do you do a tarry? Do you receive a tarry? Seems strange to me! And it's not listed as a noun in COD. Perhaps someone should ask John Simpson about it on December 19. The idiot also known as Capfka ... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Tarry (a while) #12814 12/14/2000 10:25 AM Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 3,467 Marion NC TEd Remington Carpal Tunnel TEd Remington Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 3,467 Marion NC Cap: It's listed as an obsolete noun in OED: to do an action "without tarry." In the back of my mind I've got a feeling that it might also be one of those state of the art words in the legal profession, meaning the same thing. TEd Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Tarry (a while) #12815 12/14/2000 10:59 AM Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 3,146 Northamptonshire, England Capital Kiwi Carpal Tunnel Capital Kiwi Carpal Tunnel Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 3,146 Northamptonshire, England TEd offered: It's listed as an obsolete noun in OED: to do an action "without tarry." In the back of my mind I've got a feeling that it might also be one of those state of the art words in the legal profession, meaning the same thing. Oh, I see. Silly me. Of course, I should have realised that it wasn't something you have, it's something you don't have. What's more, if you did have it, it would necessarily (and by OED definition) be obsolete. I won't comment on its use in the legal profession. I've never met a lawyer who considered him/herself obsolete, or being a tarry. What's worse, they confuse fees with phone numbers. Thanks, TEd The idiot also known as Capfka ... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Tarry (a while) #12816 12/17/2000 6:01 AM Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 444 Sydney Australia Bridget addict Bridget addict Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 444 Sydney Australia >It's listed as an obsolete noun in OED< Not sure when it went obsolete then! In my Shorter Oxford (1969), no obsolescence is shown. In fact, it even has two meanings: 1. The act of tarrying, spending or loss of time; delay, procrastination 2. Sojourn; a 'stay'. Now chiefly US. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Tarry (a while) #12817 12/17/2000 7:06 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass In reply to: Not sure when it went obsolete then! In my Shorter Oxford (1969), no obsolescence is shown. In fact, it even has two meanings: 1. The act of tarrying, spending or loss of time; delay, procrastination 2. Sojourn; a 'stay'. Now chiefly US. these are, in fact, the 2 senses given in the OED (1989); the first is now tagged obs -- the latest citation is dated "1745 Wright in N. Eng. Hist. & Gen. Reg. (1848) II. 207 We made no tarry but set forward for Fort Dummer." Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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